Agni Purana — Dharma-shastra, Shloka 7
Duties outside the Varṇa Order (वर्णेतरधर्माः) — Agni Purana, Chapter 151
प्रतिग्रहञ्चाध्ययनं विप्रकर्माणि निर्दिशेत् दानमध्ययनञ्चैव यजनञ्च यथाविधिः
pratigrahañcādhyayanaṃ viprakarmāṇi nirdiśet dānamadhyayanañcaiva yajanañca yathāvidhiḥ
प्रतिग्रहञ्चाध्ययनं विप्रकर्माणि निर्दिशेत्; दानमध्ययनञ्चैव यजनञ्च यथाविधिः।
Lord Agni (narrating the dharma topics to the sage Vasiṣṭha in the Agni Purāṇa’s instructional frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","secondary_vidya":"Mantra","practical_application":"Defines brāhmaṇa vocational-ritual obligations (accepting gifts, study/teaching, yajña) used for adjudicating eligibility, livelihood norms, and ritual authority.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Brāhmaṇa-karmāṇi: pratigraha, adhyayana, dāna, yajana (yathāvidhi)","lookup_keywords":["brahmana duties","pratigraha","adhyayana","dana","yajana"],"quick_summary":"Enumerates core brāhmaṇa duties: receiving gifts, Vedic study, giving charity, and performing sacrifice according to rule. Serves as a normative role-definition for priestly life."}
Concept: Authority is tied to discipline: learning (adhyayana) and correct procedure (yathāvidhi) ground ritual and social trust.
Application: Apply as a standard for priestly accreditation: ensure training, adherence to procedure, and ethical handling of gifts/charity.
Khanda Section: Dharma-śāstra / Varṇāśrama-dharma (Brāhmaṇa duties and rites)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A brāhmaṇa engaged in adhyayana with students, then conducting a yajña with proper implements; a donor offers gifts, and the brāhmaṇa later gives dāna onward—showing regulated exchange.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural: brāhmaṇa with sacred thread teaching, then officiating at agni altar; stylized ritual vessels, clear hand-mudrās of acceptance (pratigraha) and giving (dāna), calm dharmic tone.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore: central brāhmaṇa priest at yajña with gold-highlighted altar and vessels; side vignette of receiving gifts respectfully and distributing charity; ornate arch frame and rich gold work.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore: fine-line instructional depiction of brāhmaṇa duties—study, teaching, sacrifice—arranged as sequential panels with gentle colors and precise ritual detail.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature: scholarly courtyard with a pandit reading, students seated; adjacent small yajña pavilion; patrons presenting gifts; intricate textiles and architectural detail."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Bhairav","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: प्रतिग्रहञ्चाध्ययनम् → प्रतिग्रहम् च अध्ययनम्; दानमध्ययनञ्चैव → दानम् अध्ययनम् च एव; यजनञ्च → यजनम् च; यथाविधिः treated as avyayībhāva ‘yathā-vidhi’ (adverbial).
Related Themes: Agni Purana sections on dāna-vidhi and yajña-vidhi (procedural passages); Agni Purana mantras/stotra portions used in yajña contexts
FAQs
It enumerates core brāhmaṇa-functions: Vedic learning (adhyayana), transmitting learning (implied by repeated adhyayana), performing yajña (yajana) strictly by rule (yathāvidhi), and the regulated ethics of giving (dāna) and receiving (pratigraha).
Alongside temple rites, polity, medicine, and arts, the Agni Purāṇa also systematizes social-religious law; this verse is a compact dharma-śāstra style listing of vocational-sacrificial duties, showing the text’s coverage of normative conduct and ritual procedure.
By emphasizing yathāvidhi (rule-governed practice), it frames study, charity, and sacrifice as merit-producing only when aligned with śāstric injunction—supporting purity, rightful livelihood, and the proper flow of religious merit through giving and receiving.